While we were at the Somerset Scythe Festival I had the chance to try a left hand scythe. Mowing is traditionally a right-handed occupation, mostly so that mowers could work together in a team and everyone’s windrow would fall to the space on their left which had been cleared by the mower ahead. I’ve taught several left-handed students on my courses and they always have no trouble working with a right hand scythe but Clive needed a left hand set for a student. To see how it is for left-handers when they mow the ‘other way’ we took the blade outside for a try. Simon, Phil, Clive, Christiane and I all had a go and, although we agreed it felt strange, it was surprising automatic to switch over and mow with.

Only afterwards did we realise the reason it felt ‘strange’ was that Simon had put it on a child’s size snath and we’d been so preoccupied with the blade that none of us had noticed!